A chilling case of murder has ripped open a grim saga of sexual abuse and familial neglect in Kerala, leaving the state in outrage. The tragic death of a 4-year-old girl, allegedly thrown into a river by her mother, has unmasked months of sustained sexual abuse by her paternal uncle, police investigations have revealed.
The shocking sequence of events began to unravel on Tuesday when the 35-year-old mother reported her daughter missing from a bus. Hours later, she confessed to Kerala police that she had drowned the child. The girl’s body was retrieved, and a subsequent autopsy delivered a horrifying truth: the child had been repeatedly sexually abused over an extended period, enduring “severe torture” that was “continuous,” not isolated, according to the forensic surgeon.
“We have acted upon the report, and a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) has been registered based on it,” confirmed Ernakulam (Rural) Superintendent of Police M Hemalatha.
The primary suspect, the child’s paternal uncle who resided with the family, was arrested following the revelations. Police say he confessed to the crime, admitting he had “made a mistake,” after being brought in for further questioning alongside other relatives. Initial suspicions about his behavior had reportedly been harbored by several household members, including women.
Investigators are painting a picture of profound familial dysfunction. The girl’s parents reportedly had a strained relationship, leading to the child being neglected and spending significant time with relatives, particularly the accused uncle. While the mother’s act of throwing her daughter into the river is considered premeditated, it remains unclear if she was aware of the ongoing sexual abuse.
Police are continuing to probe the mother’s motive for the murder and any potential link to the abuse. “The mother will be questioned again tomorrow, and more details about the motive for the murder and the torture will be revealed,” a police official stated. The complex case is being handled by two separate police units: the Chengamanad police are investigating the murder, while the Puthankurish police are overseeing the POCSO case.
The forensic surgeon’s crucial statement has been recorded, and additional inquiries are underway to fully understand the extent of the abuse and the circumstances leading to the child’s death.
The horrific incident has ignited widespread condemnation across Kerala. Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former minister KK Shailaja, in a poignant Facebook post, lamented the tragedy and its societal implications. “When our families turn into closed private spaces where family members live without any social commitment, our children are left to face extreme cruelty,” she wrote, calling for “enlightenment about children’s rights and the elders’ responsibility towards them.” The incident underscores the urgent need for heightened awareness and community oversight, particularly in rural areas where the family reportedly resided.
